Beauty shopping: Inside secrets!

Long ago, I pretty much accepted that sales will never realistically occur at the cosmetics counter. Never will you see a 30% sale, or coupons for a discount off your total purchase.

Sad as that is, it doesn't mean you can't save money when beauty-shopping!

I recently had a chat with celebrity hairstylist and beauty expert Billy Lowe. From the clouds, a light of hope has emerged! He offers some advice for how to save money when shopping - even at the beauty counter!

1 - Take advantage of gift sets. 

Many brands such as the major cosmetics companies (Clinique, Lauder, etc) have gift sets year round that are full of your favorite products.  Many times these come in bonus sizes where you get more than normal amounts, and they also include 1 or 2 additional pieces that are great for travel.  Hair care lines like Pureology and Paul Mitchell also have gift sets and make it a nice value for the consumer when looking for their favorite items. I always recommend that people take advantage of these sets and buy 2 or 3 because of the value.

2 - Pre-shop. 

If companies offer incentives for pre-sales, do it without question.  Many times larger department stores such as Macy's has pre-sales incentives where they offer an additional 10-15% off of your total purchase for pre-purchasing (or holding your items in advance). This can save you hundreds of dollars in the long run, especially if you have large shopping lists or gifts to buy for people.

3 - Take a friend.

  I've been in stores many times where there's an offer such as "Buy 2 get X,Y,Z for free."  Or, "Spend $150 or more and receive a free (whatever)."     Having a shopping buddy with you makes these offers a no-brainer.  One may not need 2 sets of sheets, or 2 body care kits, but having a friend shop with you would make opportunities like this easy to take advantage of.